Tiny Homes on the Move - (Shelter Library of Building Books) by Lloyd Kahn (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Tiny Homes on the Move chronicles 21st-century nomads -- people who inhabit homes that are compact and mobile, either on wheels or in the water. In photos and stories, this fascinating book explores modern travelers who live in vans, pickup trucks, buses, trailers, sailboats, and houseboats that combine the comforts of home with the convenience of being able to pick up and go at any time. With over 1,000 color photos accompanying the stories and descriptions of these moveable sanctuaries, this is a valuable and inspirational book for anyone thinking outside the box about shelter.

Review Quotes

"Lloyd Kahn's books on housing are ina class by themselves -- hand-crafted, orginal, and useful. Tiny Homes on the Move is no exception It is a book for both doers and dreamers that says, in effect, you don't have to resign yourself to dreary wage-slave jobs and cookie-cutter houses if you are resourceful, self-reliant, and willing to take the road less traveled. This book chronicles dozens of folks around the world who have done just that, by renovating sailboats, barges school buses, campers, gypsy caravans, and the like. Many of the bravest souls shown are women, I'm happy to say. And most of the stories are written by the owner-builders, giving the book a fresh, first-hand feeling. (Kahn is great at drawing out peoples' stories.) The photography is as vivid and varied as the lives and locales it depicts. Whether or not this book gets you doing, it will certainly set you dreaming about what is possible in your own life."

-Mike Litchfield, Home at Last

"I read it cover to cover tonight. What a joy. It's the most aspirational book you've done, making me say, I really should do that. Reading it is a lot of fun. Dwelling + Travel. What's not to covet? Great job on the book. Def a cool tool."

-Kevin Kelly, author of Cool Tools

"The result is an explosion of creativity, some amazing craftsmanship, and more treehugging hippies than I have seen in 40 years. Every page is a wonder, a jumble of thousands of photos and all the tech specs you want to know."

-Lloyd Alter, Treehugger.com

"I've been up since 5AM today, pouring over it. the quality, the stories, the association with Nature, the fine craft whether done by hand or chosen from a source ... all intelligent, fascinating, enthralling and provides not a manual but a path on how to live the life of happiness one always wants but finds oh so darned hard to achieve..."

-Jack Fulton, photographer and Lloyd's good friend

"...I spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday night savoring each and every page. And I have to say, I haven't had as good a time 'staying in' in ages. Believe you me, this is the most inspiring book I've read all year and it is now required reading for the Los Angeles Van Association. (L.A.V.A. is just a name we bestowed upon our group of van-owning surfers.)

-Jordan

"Take an inspiring tour of the world with modern travelers who live in vans, buses, trailers, and boats that combine the comforts of home with the conveniences of being able to pick up and go."

-San Francisco Chronicle

"...a rich adventure account which will appeal to homeowners and travel fans alike, charting the moving explorations of all kinds of buildings."

-Diane C. Donovan, Midwest Book Review

About the Author

"I started building almost 50 years ago, and have lived in a self-built home ever since. If I'd been able to buy a wonderful old good-feeling house, I might have never started building. But it was always cheaper to build than to buy, and by building myself, I could design what I wanted and use materials I wanted to live with.

I set off to learn the art of building in 1960. I liked the whole process immensely. Hammering nails. Framing -- delineating space. Nailing down the sub-floor, the roof decking. It's a thrill when you first step on the floor you've just created.

Ideally I'd have worked with a master carpenter long enough to learn the basics, but there was never time. I learned from friends and books and by blundering my way into a process that required a certain amount of competence. My perspective was that of a novice, a homeowner -- rather than a pro. As I learned, I felt that I could tell others how to build, or at least get them started on the path to creating their own homes.

Through the years I've personally gone from post and beam to geodesic domes to stud frame construction. It's been a constant learning process, and this has led me into investigating many methods of construction -- I'm interested in them all. For five years, the late '60s to early '70s, I built geodesic domes. I got into being a publisher by producing Domebook One in 1970 and Domebook 2 in 1971. I then gave up on domes (as homes) and published our namesake Shelter in 1973. We've published books on a variety of subjects over the years, and returned to our roots with Home Work: Handbuilt Shelter in 2004, Builders of the Pacific Coast and The Barefoot Architect in 2008, and Tiny Homes in 2012.

Building is my favorite subject. Even in this day and age, building a house with your own hands can save you a ton of money (I've never had a mortgage) and -- if you follow it through -- you can get what you want in a home." -Lloyd Kahn